The same month she was celebrating her UC Berkeley graduation, 21-year-old Tyla-Simone Crayton learned her restaurant, Sienna Wings located in Harvest Market, had to close in three weeks.

Now, she's back in business, preparing to open a new Houston location on the west side in August, while celebrating the restaurant’s two-year anniversary and maintaining her relocated site located at The Commissary in Missouri City.

Crayton said Sienna Wings found a lifeline at The Commissary, which is a collection of counter-serve pop ups.

While the arrangement is month-to-month, she hopes to fundraise the $50,000 needed to buy out the lease at The Commissary.

“Our goal is to be able to stay here [at The Commissary],” Crayton said. “We’re not really looking for other locations in this area because we want to make this work.”
While the arrangement with Sienna Wings and The Commissary is month-to-month, Crayton hopes to fundraise the $50,000 needed to keep buying out the lease. (Courtesy Sienna Wings)
While the arrangement with Sienna Wings and The Commissary is month-to-month, Crayton hopes to fundraise the $50,000 needed to keep buying out the lease. (Courtesy Sienna Wings)


How it started

Crayton started her home-based business, Sienna Sauce, in 2017, while she was still in high school, alongside her mother, Monique Crayton. The pair began to sell Sienna Wings tossed in the specialty sauce, which is a honey-based recipe that is high fructose corn syrup-free, gluten-free and low-sodium every Friday out of their home.

According to the website, the award-winning Sienna Sauce flavors include:
  • Lemon Pepper sauce, a cracked black pepper blend with lemon zest
  • Sweet and Tangy sauce, brown sugar with a citrus finish
  • Spice It Up sauce, chili pepper flavor
  • Smokey Brown Everything sauce, an even blend of smoked chilis and brown sugar
  • Lemon pepper hot dust, which is battered in hot Cheeto dust and tossed in lemon pepper seasoning
  • Spicy blizzard ranch, battered in Dorito’s Cool Ranch dust and tossed with Spice It Up sauce
Customers can pair their favorite flavors with mac and cheese, fries and can even buy a full sauce bottle to-go, per the website.
Sienna Wings are tossed in Crayton's award-winning Sienna Sauce, which is a honey-based recipe that is high fructose corn syrup-free, gluten-free and low-sodium. (Courtesy Sienna Wings)
Sienna Wings are tossed in Crayton's award-winning Sienna Sauce, which is a honey-based recipe that is high fructose corn syrup-free, gluten-free and low-sodium. (Courtesy Sienna Wings)


Moving ahead


The team also has long-term hopes of eventually securing a third location in Missouri City, Crayton said.
Crayton at her original Harvest Market location in February. (Community Impact staff)
Crayton at her original Harvest Market location in February. (Community Impact staff)